Karie Murphy is Unite's preferred choice to stand for Labour in the 2015 General Election (Image: PA)

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LABOUR are probing claims that union bosses hijacked their membership list as new trouble flares in Falkirk.

The party’s national executive decided last week that a flood of new members in the constituency will not be allowed to vote on the candidate to replace shamed MP Eric Joyce.

The ruling followed a probe into claims the Unite union tried to fix the process for their candidate Karie Murphy.

Unite have vowed to challenge the decision “by legal action if necessary” in a letter sent to union members on Friday.

But dozens of Labour members in Falkirk with no connection to the union are furious that they have also received the letter, headed “Dear Brother/Sister”, from Unite general secretary Len McCluskey.

They have made complaints to Labour and are considering contacting the police over what they see as a breach of the Data Protection Act.

Under the act, individuals must have agreed before their personal details are passed to a different organisation.

One party member said: “I would like to know where Unite got my details from. It begs the question, ‘Did someone in Unite misuse the Labour Party database?’ It stinks.”

Another said: “Unite have sent a letter saying they intend to fight the Labour Party to people who are Labour members and have no connection to Unite.”

Scottish Labour said: “Any complaint from a party member is taken seriously and looked into.”

Unite said: “We sent letters to all our members of the CLP (Constituency Labour Party) and are investigating the possibility that non-Unite members may have received a letter in error, although we have not received any direct complaints.”

The race to replace shamed MP Eric Joyce follows his resignation from Labour. Last year, he was spared jail after head-butting two Tory MPs in a Westminster bar. He admitted common assault and was fined £3000.